Lamp assembly



July 19, 1960 R. A. MAF'FEI LAMP ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 10, 1958 Fla-.2

\2 INVENTOR. TEuooLpH A.MAFFEI SeutzcE ATTO 2 u EY United States Patent O LAMP ASSEMBLY Rudolph A. Maifei, 2165 SW. 23rd Terrace, Miami, Fla. A Filed Oct. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 766,478

6 Claims. 01. 240-81) The present invention relates to a lamp assembly having a glow bulb and a conventional incandescent lamp bulb, the glow bulb being illuminated automatically when current to the incandescent lamp bulb is discontinued.

Presently in use in residences and most particularly in nurseries, bedrooms, and bathrooms of residences are night lights which provide a soft and dim illumination .of small areas about the lights. Such night lights have been proposed in many forms, each requiring a separate switch and circuit arrangement, and each requiring manual switching on and off when used.

. An object of the present invention is to provide a lamp assembly incorporating a night light which requires no manual switching on and off.

1 Another object is to provide a lamp assembly incorporating a night light which glows softly when the main lamp or incandescent lamp bulb of the assembly is extinguished.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lamp assembly which is neat and attractive in appear- ,ance, one in which a night light is incorporated but inconspicuous when not in use, and one which is economically feasible.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the lamp assembly according to the present invention, with the lamp bulb and socket in dotted lines and the supporting tube and .glow bnlb'in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the assembly shown in Figure 1 with the shade removed and a portion of the incandescent lamp bulb broken away; and

Figure 3 is a schematic view of the electrical circuit employed in the lamp assembly according to the. present invention. Referring in "greater detail to the drawing. in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the lamp assembly according to the present invention comprises a base having a bottom surface 12 adapted torst'uptm asupporting surface and having on the upper end or upper surface a shelf 14. An upstanding cup 16 having a flat bottom 18 and a diverging wall 20 rising from the fiat bottom 18 is positioned so that the bottom 18 is supported upon the shelf 14 of the base 10.

A transparent hollow sphere '22, fabricated of glass, porcelain, plastic, or the like, is supported upon the free edge of the wall 20 of the cup 16.

An inverted cup 24 having a fiat bottom 26 and a diverging wall 28 extending downwardly from the bottom '26 is superimposed upon the sphere 22 and has the free edge of the wall 28 resting upon and engaging a portion of the sphere 22.

A vertically disposed hollow tube 30 extends through the shelf 14, through the bottom 18 of the cup 16, through the cup 16, through aligned holes 32 and.34 in the sphere 22, through the inverted cup 24, and through the bottom 26 of the inverted cup 24. The portion 36 of the tube 30, inwardly of and adjacent the lower end thereof, is provided with external threads receiving threaded nuts 38 and 40 thereon, the nut 38 being abuttingly engaging in the underside of the shelf 14 and the nut 40 abuttingly engaging the bottom 18 of the cup 16 for holding the cup 16 on the base 10.

The portion 42 of the tube 30 inwardly of and adjacent the upper end is provided with external threads threadedly receiving an incandescent lamp bulb socket 44 of conventional construction. The tube portion 42 is spaced above the bottom 26 of the cup 24 and the threaded portion of the socket 44 is screwed down tightly against the cup bottom 26.

A pair of wires 46 and 48 extend through a grommet 50 in the skirt of the base 10 and upwardly through the tube 30 to the socket 44 where they are affixed to the terminal contacts of the socket 44. An incandescent lamp bulb 52 is removably positioned within the socket 44.

The tube 30 has a cutaway portion 54 intermediate its ends through which extend wires '56 and 58 which connect to the wires 46 and 48 and serve to put a gas filled glow bulb 6t) and its associated resistor 62 in parallel circuit with the incandescent lamp bulb 52 and its manually operable switch 64. The bulb 60 and its resisto'r 62 are of conventional construction and have a resistance value such that when the bulb 52 is illuminated by electric current in the wires 46 and 48, the bulb 60 will not glow but when the switch 64 is turned to elf position, extinguishing the bulb 52, current will flow through the wires 56 and 58, energizing the gas filled glow bulb 60 which, with its resistor 62-, is supported by the wires 56 and '58 exteriorly of and adjacent the tube 30 within the sphere 22.

A conventionally shaped lamp shade 66 surrounds the bulb 52 and is supported thereo'n by a conventional clamp wire shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and designated by the numeral 68.

In use, the lamp assembly of the present invention is adapted for support upon a supporting surface such as a night stand, table, desk, or the like.' Preferably, the sphere 22. is fabricated of a translucent or transparent material so that the bulb 60 when energized will cast a soft and diffused light through'the sphere 22. The one switch 64 controls the illumination of the incandescent lamp bulb 52 and when the bulb 52 is extinguished, the bulb 60 will glow in the conventional manner, thereby providing a night light readily identified in the night time and serving to make accessible the switch 64 when greater illumination is needed in the area where the lamp assembly of the present invention is employed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a lamp assembly, a base having a bottom surface adapted to rest upona supporting surface and having on the upper surface a shelf, an upstanding cup positioned so that the bottom is supported upon said shelf, a transparent sphere supported upon the free edge of said cup, an inverted cup superimposed upon said sphere and having the free edge of the inverted cup engaging a portion of said sphere, a vertically disposed hollow tube adapted to receive electrical connections extending through said shelf, the bottom of said cup, said cup, said sphere, and through said inverted cup and the bottom of said inverted cup, and having the lower end fixedly supported in said shelf and the bottom of said upstanding cup and having the portion adjacent the upper end fixedly supported in the bottom of said inverted cup, the upper end of said tube being exteriorly of and spaced above the bottom of said inverted cup, and a glow bulb within said sphere and exteriorly of and supported on the portion of said tube within said sphere.

2. In a lamp assembly, a base having a bottom surface adapted to rest upon asupporting surface and having on the upper surface a shelf, an upstanding cup having a fiat bottom and a diverging wall rising fro'nr said bottom, saidcup being positioned so that the bottom is supported upon said shelf, a transparent sphere supported upon the free edge of the wall of said cup, an inverted cup having a flat bottom and a diverging wall extending downwardly from said bottom, said inverted cup being superimposed upon said sphere and having the free edge of the wall engaging aportion of said sphere, a vertically disposed hollow tube adapted to receive electrical connections extending through said shelf, the bottom of said cup, said cup, said sphere, and through said inverted cup and the bottom of'said inverted cup, and having the lower end fixedly supported in said shelf and the bottom of said upstanding cup and having the portion adjacent the upper end fixedly supported in the bottom of said inverted cup, the upper end of said tube being exteriorly of and spaced above the bottom of said inverted cup, and a glow bulb within said sphere and exteriorly of and supported on the portion of said tube within said sphere.

3. In a lamp assembly, a base having a bottom surface adapted to rest upon a supporting surface and having on the upper surface a shelf, an upstanding cup positioned so that the bottom is supported upon said shelf, a transparent sphere supported upon the free edge of said cup, an inverted cup superimposed upon said sphere and having the free edge of the inverted cup engaging a portion of said sphere, and a vertically dispo'sed hollow tube adapted to receive electrical connections extending through said shelf, the bottom of said cup, said cup, said sphere, and through said inverted cup and the bottom of said inverted cup, and having the lower end fixedly supported in said shelf and the bottom of said upstanding cup and having the portion adjacent the upper end fixedly supported in the bottom of said inverted cup, the upper end of said tube being exteriorly of and spaced above the bottom of said inverted cup.

4. In a lamp assembly, a base having a bottom surface adapted to rest upon a supporting surface and having on the upper surface a shelf, an upstanding cup positioned so that the bottom is supported upon said shelf, a transparent sphere supported upon the free edge of said cup, an inverted cup superimposed upo'n said sphere and having the free edge of the inverted cup engaging a portion of said sphere, a vertically disposed hollow tube adapted to receive electrical connections extending through said shelf, the bottom of said cup, said cup, said sphere, and through said inverted cup and the bottom of said inverted cup, and having the lower end fixedly supported in said shelf and the bottom of said upstanding cup and having the portion adjacent the upper end fixedly supported in the bottom of said inverted cup, the upper end of said tube being exteriorly of and spaced above the bottom of said inverted cup, a glow bulb' within said sphere and exteriorly of and supported on the portion of said tube within said sphere, and a socket for the reception of an incandescent bulb on the upper end of said tube.

5. A lamp assembly comprising a base having a bottom surface adapted to rest upon a supporting surface and having on the upper surface a shelf, an upstanding cup positioned so that the bottom is supported upon said shelf, a transparent sphere supported upon the free edge of said cup, an inverted cup superimposed upon said sphere and having the free edge of the inverted cup en gaging a portion of said sphere, avertically disposed hollow tube adapted to receive electrical connections extending through said shelf, the bottom of said cup, said cup, said sphere, and through said inverted cup and the bottom of said inverted cup, and having the lower end fixedly supported in said shelf and the bottom of said upstanding cup and having the portion adjacent the upper end fixedly supported in the bottom of said inverted cup, the upper end of saidtube being exteriorly of and spaced above the bottom of said inverted cup, a globe within said sphere and exteriorly of and supported on the portion of said tube within said sphere, a socket on the upper end of said tube, an incandescent bulb in said socket, and a lamp shade surrounding said bulb.

6. A lamp assembly comprising a base having a bottom surface adapted to rest upon a supporting surface and having on' the upper surface a shelf, anupstanding cup having a flatbo'ttom and a diverging wall rising from said bottom, said cup being positioned so that the bottomis supported upon said shelf, a transparent sphere supported upon the free edge of the wall of said cup, an inverted cup having a flat bottom and a diverging wall extending downwardly from said bottom, said in verted cup being superimposed upon said sphere and having the free edge of the wall engaging a portion of said sphere, a vertically disposed hollow tube adapted toreceive electrical connections extending through said shelf, the bottom of said cup, said cup, said sphere, and through said inverted cup and the bottom of said inverted cup, and having the lower end fixedly supported in said shelf and the bottom of. said upstanding cup and having the portion adjacent the upper end fixedly supported in the bottom at said inverted cup, the upper end of said tube being exteriorly of and spaced above the bottom of said inverted cup, a globe bulb within said sphere and exteriorly of and supported on the portion of said tube within said sphere, a socket on the upper end of said tube, an incandescent bulb in said socket, and a lamp shade surrounding said bulb.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,081,498 Gudeman Dec. 16, 1913 2,638,533 Zobian May 12, 1953 2,878,373 Bramming Mar. 17, 1959 OTHER REFERENCES Scientific American,"January 1940, p. 31. 

